Since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022, a war has been playing out in the lives of each of the 43 million Ukrainians whose daily lives have been turned upside down, estimates Magdaline Boutros, journalist at Duty. In the collection Letters from Ukraine, that she directed, she wanted to give a voice to nine inhabitants of this devastated country, by inviting them to write a letter for the person of their choice.
A father writing to his little daughter while on the front line. A woman who tells her friend about the horror she experienced during the siege of Mariupol. A young adult who reminds one of her friends of their happy memories before the war. Here are some of the nine testimonies which are delivered “without filter” in the work which will appear on Tuesday.
A few days before the start of the conflict, Magdaline Boutros had produced reports in this country, where tensions were high with Russia. For Letters from Ukraine, however, she wanted to give carte blanche to Ukrainians of all ages and backgrounds. “They are the ones who decide what they want to tell us and what they need to tell us. I gave them very, very few instructions,” underlines the one who has worked on a daily basis in Montreal since 2018.
Nine short chapters, each containing a missive, were born from this exercise. There we find in particular the texts “Letter to my hero”, “Letter with rage in my heart” or “Letter in tribute to those who wanted to live their lives quite simply”.
Olesya Drashkaba, an artist in her forties, is the author of the last part of the book: “Letter to the person I was before the start of the war”. She discusses the lessons she learned during two years of conflict, such as the importance of rejoicing in the little things in life. “My grandmother could look at a cake for a few minutes and wonder how you could make such a little cream rose. I want to survive this terrible war and become like her,” writes Mme Drashkaba.
Close to emotions… and pain
The epistolary genre took its place within the project from its first ups and downs, says Magdaline Boutros. “It creates a proximity very quickly between the reader and the person who wrote the letter,” she believes.
However, it was difficult to convince people to play the game, admits the journalist. “There were several who told me yes, but who did not follow up on the project afterwards. But I understand, they have other things to do, given that they live in a country at war, she emphasizes. It’s also not easy to delve into your emotions like that and write something personal that will then be read by strangers. »
The exercise was, however, therapeutic for some, mentions Magdaline Boutros. The lawyer Kateryna Rashevska, who signed the first missive, also told the reporter that it was “exactly” what she needed. “A few weeks later, when I received his letter and read it, I took my breath away. I understood everything,” relates the journalist, taking care not to reveal the end of the text from this woman in her twenties.
No hierarchy in horror
According to Magdaline Boutros, these different testimonies from distraught daily newspapers are all the more relevant in the context of the second anniversary of the war, on February 24. “It is important to see that beyond all geopolitical considerations, it is the lives of ordinary people that are affected by what is happening. »
Lately, the conflict provoked by Moscow has occupied less space in the media, she notes. Especially since Hamas’ surprise offensive against Israel on October 7, 2023, she adds. “We must remember that the war on Ukrainian soil still exists. And even if what is happening in Gaza is terrible, there is no hierarchy in the horror. It’s also terrible what’s happening in Ukraine at the moment. »
In the Letters from Ukraine, the sadness and rage of these people are clearly felt. But these speeches are above all odes to life.
The enthusiasm of the Ukrainians had also marked the journalist during her visit to kyiv a few days before the invasion by Moscow. At a time when the whole world was holding its breath due to the deployment of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border, a festive atmosphere nevertheless reigned in the streets of the capital. “It was a way for them to resist, to continue living,” she concludes.